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Assessing A District's Culture Through An AnnualSchool Culture Audit: A Policy AdvocacyDocumentRobert Tomic

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Recommended CitationTomic, Robert, "Assessing A District's Culture Through An Annual School Culture Audit: A Policy Advocacy Document" (2016).Dissertations. 409.https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/409

ASSESSING A DISTRICT’S CULTURE THROUGH AN ANNUAL SCHOOL

CULTURE AUDIT: A POLICY ADVOCACY DOCUMENT

Robert S. Tomic

Educational Leadership Doctoral Program

Submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirement of

Doctor of Education

In the Foster G. McGaw Graduate School

National College of Education

National Louis University

December 2016

Document Origination Statement Digital Commons @NLU

ii

This document was created as one part of the three-part dissertation requirement of the National

Louis University (NLU) Educational Leadership (EDL) Doctoral Program. The National Louis

Educational Leadership EdD is a professional practice degree program (Shulman et al., 2006).

For the dissertation requirement, doctoral candidates are required to plan, research, and

implement three major projects, one each year, within their school or district with a focus on

professional practice. The three projects are:

Program Evaluation

Change Leadership Plan

Policy Advocacy Document

For the Program Evaluation candidates are required to identify and evaluate a program or

practice within their school or district. The “program” can be a current initiative; a grant project;

a common practice; or a movement. Focused on utilization, the evaluation can be formative,

summative, or developmental (Patton, 2008). The candidate must demonstrate how the evaluation

directly relates to student learning.

In the Change Leadership Plan candidates develop a plan that considers organizational

possibilities for renewal. The plan for organizational change may be at the building or district

level. It must be related to an area in need of improvement, and have a clear target in mind. The

candidate must be able to identify noticeable and feasible differences that should exist as a result

of the change plan (Wagner et al., 2006).

In the Policy Advocacy Document candidates develop and advocate for a policy at the local,

state or national level using reflective practice and research as a means for supporting and

promoting reforms in education. Policy advocacy dissertations use critical theory to address

moral and ethical issues of policy formation and administrative decision making (i.e., what ought

to be). The purpose is to develop reflective, humane and social critics, moral leaders, and

competent professionals, guided by a critical practical rational model (Browder, 1995).

Works Cited

Browder, L.H. (1995). An alternative to the doctoral dissertation: The policy advocacy concept

and the policy document. Journal of School Leadership, 5, 40-69.

Patton, M. Q. (2008). Utilization-focused evaluation (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Shulman, L.S., Golde, C.M., Bueschel, A.C., & Garabedian, K.J. (2006). Reclaiming education’s

doctorates: A critique and a proposal. Educational Researcher, 35(3), 25-32. Wagner, T., et al. (2006). Change leadership: A practical guide to transforming our schools. San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

11.19.16

ABSTRACT

Healthy school cultures play a significant role in improving a student’s

educational experience as well as creating a professional environment for staff.

Sustaining a positive school culture throughout a K-8 district allows for similar

experiences for students and provides stability at the staff level throughout the district.

The recommended policy for Yorktown School District would require each school to

complete an annual school culture audit to ensure the presence of a strong foundation for

all stakeholders. Utilizing the School Culture Triage Survey on an annual basis to

determine strengths and areas to focus on will provide a school and district the

information needed to build a strong foundation for all stakeholders to flourish. The focus

is on three main categories: professional collaboration, collegial relationships, and self-

determination (CISC, n.d.). Incorporating this inexpensive, annual school culture audit

requires buy-in and commitment from staff and administration. As a result, the ability to

collaborate, make adjustments, and solve problems together throughout the year will

benefit all stakeholders.

ii

PREFACE: LEADERSHIP LESSONS LEARNED

One of the most significant roles of an educational leader is to ensure the

existence of a conducive and supportive environment that allows all students to receive

an excellent educational experience. Implementing a district policy that focuses on the

school culture paves the way for an excellent foundation for all stakeholders to grow and

flourish. This policy advocacy does just this by focusing on a research-based survey

called the School Culture Triage Survey. The survey allows for anonymous feedback

from staff, followed by discussion and collaboration on the results, to determine the focus

and school initiatives for the upcoming school year. As a result, by offering feedback and

collaborating, staff are not only paving the way but earning ownership. This process only

begins with the completion of the annual School Culture Triage Survey because it’s a

reflection of the past year’s experience. The real work begins when faced with the task of

creating goals and initiatives from the results and collaboratively addressing unforeseen

circumstances during the school year. This is where the real learning curves occur for all

stakeholders.

The role of the administrator/principal is significant due to the fact that this

person needs to able to distinguish between adaptive and technical change. This will help

the leader understand and better prepare the staff when making value-based changes or

improving skill sets. One of the underlying factors is the level of trust within the entire

staff. When there’s trust there’s the opportunity to have open and productive discussions

that result in solutions to problems. At times, even when the correct decisions are made,

change is difficult for most people even if it’s the right thing to do. This is where the

saying, “patience is a virtue” is a key factor in seeing successful initiatives come to

fruition throughout a staff.

iii

As a result of change that occurs due to the necessary evolutionary process of

improvement, it’s inevitable that the staff will go through a filtering process over time.

Some of this change might be due to retirements, but some of the turnover will be a result

of how some staff members do not want to be a part of the change process and how

things are done differently on a day to day basis. Positive and necessary change that is

research-based, is the right thing to do for overall school improvement, but for some

individuals it does not matter, they do not want to be a part of the evolutionary process.

The building leader then has the responsibility to hire additional staff that in the long run

should be a better fit for where the current staff is heading. This is an excellent

opportunity for the administrator to fill in those critical missing pieces that will help

propel the staff forward and speed the evolutionary or change process.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii

PREFACE .......................................................................................................................... iii

LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii

SECTION ONE: VISION STATEMENT ...........................................................................1

Awareness of the Need for Change .....................................................................................1

Critical Issues .......................................................................................................................2

Recommended Policy ..........................................................................................................4

Envisioned Effect .................................................................................................................5

SECTION TWO: ANALYSIS OF NEED ...........................................................................7

Educational Analysis ...........................................................................................................7

Economic Analysis ..............................................................................................................9

Social Analysis...................................................................................................................10

Political Analysis ...............................................................................................................11

Moral and Ethical Analysis ................................................................................................12

SECTION THREE: ADVOCATED POLICY STATEMENT .........................................15

Introduction ........................................................................................................................15

Goals ..................................................................................................................................15

Objectives ..........................................................................................................................16

Needs, Values, and Preferences Represented by the Policy ..............................................17

Goals and Objectives are Appropriate and Good ..............................................................19

SECTION FOUR: POLICY ARGUMENT .......................................................................21

Argument ...........................................................................................................................21

Provides Staff a Focused Approach .......................................................................21

Promotes Staff Ownership in School Initiatives ....................................................22

Staff Relationship Building ....................................................................................22

Recognizing and Celebrating Successes ................................................................23

Consistent Focus Across the School District .........................................................23

Counter-Argument .............................................................................................................24

Buy-In needed by Staff and Administration ...........................................................24

Time Commitment ..................................................................................................24

SECTION FIVE: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ...............................................................26

Staff Development .............................................................................................................26

Create School Culture Working Committees ....................................................................28

v

Data for Decision Making ..................................................................................................30

Time Schedule ...................................................................................................................31

Program Budgets ................................................................................................................33

SECTION SIX: ASSESSMENT PLAN ............................................................................35

Monitoring the Implementation .........................................................................................35

Building Leadership Team .....................................................................................37

Building Teaching Teams ......................................................................................38

Building Content Level Teams ...............................................................................38

Building Discipline Committee ..............................................................................39

School Culture Committee .....................................................................................39

Awards Committee .................................................................................................39

Assessing Outcomes ..........................................................................................................40

School Culture Triage Survey Results ...................................................................42

Student Attendance and Discipline Data ...............................................................42

Staff Attendance .....................................................................................................43

Stakeholders Responsibilities ............................................................................................43

Administrators........................................................................................................43

Staff ........................................................................................................................44

Students ..................................................................................................................44

SECTION SEVEN: SUMMARY IMPACT STATEMENT .............................................45

Why this is an Appropriate Policy .....................................................................................45

Policy is Consistent with District Mission and Vision ......................................................46

Need and Values of All Stakeholders are Represented .....................................................46

Impact on School Improvement Plan .................................................................................47

REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................49

APPENDIX A: School Culture Triage Survey ..................................................................52

vi

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Timeline ...............................................................................................................32

Table 2: Staff salaries.........................................................................................................33

Table 3: Professional development budget ........................................................................33

Table 4: Culture assessment committees ...........................................................................36

Table 5: Audit outcomes to be measured ...........................................................................41

1

SECTION ONE: VISION STATEMENT

Awareness of the Need for Change

A critical aspect of a school system is the stability and sustainability of its school

culture. School culture is the layers of fabric that involve all stakeholders in a school

system (students, staff, and parents). School culture can be described as:

School culture is the set of norms, values and beliefs, rituals and ceremonies,

symbols and stories that make up the “persona” of the school. These unwritten

expectations build up over time as teachers, administrators, parents, and students

work together, solve problems, deal with challenges and, at times, cope with

failures (Peterson, as cited in CISC ).

Working in a K-8 school district in the Chicagoland area for the past nine years

and having the opportunity to be in an acting principals role in one building, and being

the principal for two other buildings, has confirmed my belief in the need to advocate for

a policy that requires consistent monitoring of the school culture of each building and the

overall district. Having experienced the cultures in feeder schools that house grades four

through six, and currently as principal of the seventh- and eighth-grade middle school, I

can confirm that the culture in each building can be drastically different for all

stakeholders. In my current role as building principal at Campton Middle School, my

main initiative for the first year is examining and restructuring the school culture. This is

the second building that I’ve had to examine and change the school culture in Yorktown

School District.

A change leadership plan that I worked on involved transforming a middle

school’s culture through collaboration, relationships, and shared values. This experience

of thoroughly examining the school culture of Campton Middle School helped me

understand the importance of having a healthy school culture for all stakeholders. One of

the critical components is ownership by all stakeholders which requires a consistent level

2

of collaboration. Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) stated that “Schools characterized by

collaborative cultures are also places of hard work and dedication, collective

responsibility, and pride in the school” (p.113). Having a collaborative culture is

especially important when there is the need to inventory processes, structures, and resolve

problems within a building and all stakeholders. This policy document though set up for a

pilot is intended to expand at the district level.

Critical Issues

As the students and parents of Yorktown School District transition from one

building to the next as they complete their educational experience from kindergarten

through to the eighth grade, their experience in each building can vary drastically. Their

experiences range from healthy, positive, and nurturing environments to temperamental,

inconsistent, and at times, unsupportive environments. Having different experiences

throughout the K-8 experience can negatively impact students from a social and academic

perspective. In addition, when those experiences are so varied, parents receive different

levels of service and support that result in frustration and the need for district office

administration to intervene and resolve problems.

The school culture in Yorktown School District can vary greatly from building to

building. The ways and methods in which the staff and administrative team function are

also quite different depending on the leadership teams and the staff. There are some

buildings that are collaborative and supportive and which you would deem to have a

healthy school culture, based off staff retention rates, parent involvement and satisfaction,

and a high level of student performance.

3

There are other buildings that you can classify as inefficient and dysfunctional at

times due to their inability to function collectively. Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) defined

Balkanized teacher culture as “separate and sometimes competing groups, jockeying for

position and supremacy like loosely connected Balkan states” (p.115). This is certainly

the case in Campton Middle School, where the known culture within all stakeholders is

the belonging to a specific team within the school. The Campton Middle School concept

and perception is “four buildings under one roof,” which has resulted in confusion and

inconsistencies for all stakeholders.

This is also the case when you look at Yorkton School District as a whole. Each

building is an independent entity within the district and there’s a constant “jockeying for

position” mentality among the schools at all times. As a result, the level of cooperation

and articulation amongst each building would not be defined as consistent or

collaborative. This has also impacted some buildings internally by having grade levels

competing against other grade levels for internal supremacy based off of student

performance.

At the administrative level, there’s a variety of leadership styles within Yorktown

School District that sets a different cultural tone for the type of school culture that exists

in each building. There is also a discrepancy of experience and success rate within the

administrative team. In this instance, success can be defined as a combination of the

following: teacher retention rate, teacher satisfaction, parent satisfaction and

volunteering, student performance rate, and the need for district office to resolve issues in

individual buildings. With the varying levels of leadership style and experience,

4

providing some consistent district-wide structures would help in beginning to create

continuity and a collaborative culture throughout Yorktown School District.

Recommended Policy

The policy that I’m recommending is incorporating school culture audits in each

individual school of Yorktown School District. This should be done annually so there can

be continual monitoring of the needs and strengths of building staff. Staff and

administration would be involved in the process by offering their feedback on how a

building is functioning. The tool for the school culture audit is the School Culture Triage

survey. The survey (Appendix A) is from the Center for Improving School Culture

(CISC) and it encompasses the Likert scale, with questions assigned a rating from 1 to 5

points. The questions are categorized under three headings:

1. Professional Collaboration: Do teachers and staff meet and work together to

solve professional issues e.g. instructional, organizational or curricular issues?

2. Affiliative/Collegial Relationships: Do people enjoy working together, support

one another and feel valued and included?

3. Efficacy or Self-Determination: Are people in this school here because they

want to be? Do they work to improve their skills as true professionals, or, do they

simply see themselves as helpless, victims of a large and uncaring bureaucracy?

(CISC, p.103)

The purpose of using a uniformed audit across the district is to ensure consistent

measurement and focus on the same things. The School Culture Triage Survey focuses on

collaboration, relationships, and how we get things done. This begins the process of

improving a school culture in a building and overall better continuity within the district.

5

The results of the survey would be shared with staff to collaborate and confirm the things

that we need to objectively work on. There would be goals established along with an

action plan based off of the survey results. This would be incorporated in the school

improvement plan along with specific professional development initiatives.

This process would be done annually as each building focuses on the things they

specifically need to work on to create healthier school cultures, which in turn helps

improve the culture of Yorktown School District. The results and findings of this survey

should not be part of an administrator’s evaluation due to the fact that it might lose some

of its objectivity when staff complete the questionnaire. What can and should be part of

the administrators’ evaluation is the follow-through and monitoring of the action plan that

has been created with staff.

Envisioned Effect

Incorporating this policy helps in continually improving each individual school

culture and the district culture as a whole. Regardless of the individual school leadership

and when new administrators are assigned to different buildings or when new staff

members are added to a building, the focus and priority is in maintaining a healthy school

culture. Our other stakeholders (i.e., students and parents) will experience the same level

of support and positive nurturing environment through their K-8 academic experience in

Yorktown School District, which is critical for academic, social, and emotional growth.

One of the pillars of a healthy school culture is focusing on rapport building for

all stakeholders. Milner (2015) stated that “there is compelling evidence that relationship

building can be an essential element to teacher and student success” (p.94). This will pay

dividends when students transition from one grade level to the next and into a new

6

building. This move into unchartered waters calls for the need to focus on rapport

building and establishing a new level of trust to ease the transition process into another

school and to build on past relationships. Building a rapport with staff and administration

can help when difficult decisions need to be made for the good of the building.

Maintaining the same spirit of relationship building with parents and community

members builds the foundation for unlimited possibility.

Having staff involved in offering feedback in how the building functions offers

them the opportunity to have consistent ownership and help shape the culture of the

building. Utilizing evidence-based decision making through group discussions will help

in the commitment to professional development initiatives for the building and entire

district as collaboration becomes the norm and not the exception. Creating and

emphasizing a collaborative environment should help in staff commitment and retention

over time.

7

SECTION TWO: ANALYSIS OF NEED

Section two addresses the “analysis of need” by highlighting the importance of

policy advocacy through five lenses: educational analysis, economic analysis, social

analysis, political analysis, and moral and ethical analysis. Yorktown School District will

be reviewed and analyzed as we look into why there should be a policy that requires each

building in the district to complete a school culture audit. The School Culture Triage

(Appendix A) Survey from the Center for Improving School Culture (CISC) and the three

distinct sections from the survey (professional collaboration, affiliative/collegial

relationships, and efficacy/self-determination) is reviewed in section two.

Educational Analysis

Having a healthy and stable school environment is the foundational piece for

growth. Williamson and Blackburn (2009) stated that “understanding culture—how it

works and how it can be shaped—is important for improving a school’s program” (p.60).

Sustaining a healthy school culture positively affects all stakeholders: staff, students, and

parent/guardians. Williamson and Blackburn (2009) also stated that “it takes time and

patience to shape school culture, but doing so is one of the most powerful ways a

principal can improve his or her school” (p.60). The initial challenge is getting to the

level where you have a healthy school culture followed by continual monitoring to

sustain that level. “An analysis of the school culture—whether in-depth or as a cursory

preview of need—is essential for all schools as they strive to improve” (CISC, p. 130).

The annual monitoring of school culture needs to occur to help improve how a building

and district function as whole.

8

An important part of school culture is how the staff and administrative team work

together as a whole. The art of collaborating is a critical component in how things get

done on a daily basis. Additionally, collaboration is as much about how we get things

done in a cohesive manner as well as how we improve our skills in the classroom.

Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) stated that “teaching is a collective rather than an

individual enterprise and that analysis, evaluation, and experimentation in concert with

colleagues are conditions in which teachers improve” (p.112). Working together to help

improve our skills in the classroom is how we can positively impact our students.

Research has shown that a healthy school culture impacts student academic achievement

(Cohen, Pickeral, & McCloskey, 2008; Bischoff, Deris, Johnson, & Quin, 2015). As we

improve our craft in the classroom, we also need to make sure that we are cognizant of

our values.

Being mindful of our school values and beliefs is a critical piece in moving

forward as a staff. Reeves (2009) suggested that “culture is reflected in the behavior,

attitudes, and beliefs of individuals and groups” (p.37). Additionally, this is an adaptive

challenge that not only deals with the minds of individuals, but also with their hearts

(Heifetz, Grashow, & Linsky, 2009). Monitoring this piece is critical so that growth is

assured. Without monitoring, growth can be stymied. Monitoring a school and district

culture on an annual basis is a critical piece in continually evaluating and keeping your

hands on the pulse of the organization.

9

Economic Analysis

When the leader of the building puts value in something and demonstrates this

through their actions then there is a higher probability that the staff will respond

favorably.

It’s pointless and expensive putting everyone in a district through a packaged

workshop on how to become professional learning communities if some of the

principals have not been able or willing to build trust and respect with and among

their teachers (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012, p. 113).

As a district, the entire administrative team, including the principals at each

building, need to demonstrate the same belief system and values so there is consistency

across the district (Reeves, 2009; Dernowska & Tlusciak-Deliowska, 2012). Regardless of

the building-level leadership and when principals change, the attention to school culture

needs to be sustained and made a priority for the benefit of the staff and students. As a

result, students will have a more consistent educational experience at Yorktown School

District. As they transition through three buildings during these nine years, both students

and parents should experience more continuity in the service that is provided for them.

This should positively impact student mobility rates. From a staff perspective, continuity

becomes key to minimize staff turnover rates when a new principal comes aboard.

When a building and school district experience a high level of attrition on an

annual basis, it proves extremely debilitating. Rebuilding a staff consumes large

quantities of time and effort. The support needed during the school year for new staff

members is more labor-intensive allowing you the ability to give them the best

opportunity to succeed. Shakrani (2008) concurred, by stating that “trapped in a cycle of

teacher hiring and replacement, low-performing disadvantaged schools drain their

districts of precious resources that could be better spent to improve teaching quality and

10

student achievement” (p. 2). The numbers do not lie, as an estimate of 224 million was

spent in one year by the state of Illinois for teachers that transferred to other buildings

(Shakrani, 2008). “The Department of Labor estimates that attrition costs employers

about 30% of the employee’s salary” (Shakrani, 2008). High turnover rates can cripple a

school’s growth and it can take years to find stability again.

What makes this more challenging for Yorktown School District is that we’re a

Targeted Title I District, with Campton Middle school having approximately 70% free

and reduced lunch with a majority minority student population. What this means is that

there is a higher probability of losing our staff members to more stable and wealthier

schools (Roza, 2010; Shakrani, 2008).

Maintaining a healthy school culture and monitoring it annually is critical in

offering the staff an excellent work environment that helps them grow and succeed both

personally and professionally.

Social Analysis

Continually improving a school and district culture helps more than just one part

of a school system; it aids all stakeholders: students, staff, and parent/guardians.

Collaborative cultures do require attention to the structures and formal

organizations of school life, but their underlying sources of strength are informal

in relationships, conversations, expressions of interest, provisions of support, and

ultimately the mobilization of collective expertise and commitment to improve the

lives and life chances of students. (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012, p. 114)

When there’s trust and unconditional support, the opportunities of growth for all is

unlimited and the one stakeholder that benefits the most are our students. “School culture

must be the infrastructure for actualizing the goal of the school—improved student

performance in a caring environment” (CISC, p.130). The systems and structures are

11

necessary to allow for cohesion throughout an organization, but the culture is what makes

things happen and tick (CISC).

Completing an annual school culture audit will allow for the staff to give

feedback and acquire a level of ownership. The growth process continues as teachers

receive feedback and buy into new initiatives following the analysis of the results. Block

(2009) stated that “this requires us to believe in the possibility of this organization, this

neighborhood, this community is mine or ours to create” (p.127). All staff need to be

involved in this process as we put words in print and take action to continually model our

cultural expectations. Reeves (2009) stated that “the most challenging changes are

adaptive and note that these challenges cannot be solved by someone who provides

answers from higher up” (p.39). This reinforces the point that annual school culture

audits are as much for the principal as they are for the staff.

Political Analysis

Utilizing an annual school culture audit would benefit all stakeholders in a school

and district. Doing so allows for ownership by staff, offers the staff and administration

critical information on the current condition of the school, provides the opportunity to

place some corrective actions in place to for the upcoming school year, and ultimately

improves the educational experiences of all students.

Schools need tools for developing and assessing school culture, and must be held

accountable for their school cultures. Many schools do not intentionally shape

their cultures because they lack the tools for doing so. Many such tools exist and

are described in detail in resources such as the frameworks of the National School

Climate Council and books such as Building an Intentional School Culture, An

Ethic of Excellence, Smart & Good High Schools, and Leading a Culture of

Change, to name just a few. (Character Education Partnership, 2012, p. 7)

12

Yorktown School District will use the School Culture Triage survey that was created by

the Center for Improving School Culture (CISC). This is even more important now due to

the continual changing of demographics and social economic levels of our public schools.

Ravitch (2010) stated that one of the ways to “improve our schools is to improve the

conditions in which teachers work and children learn” (p.225). Our schools are changing

rapidly nationwide and if we don’t work together to successfully meet the different needs

of our students then our effectiveness as a staff begins to diminish.

The State of Illinois adopted the 5Essentials Survey, which is a more extensive

version of a school culture audit and encompasses a wider range of how a school

functions. The five essentials are the following: effective leaders, collaborative teachers,

ambitious instruction, supportive environment, and involved families. The University of

Chicago’s research over 20 years reinforced that a “school strong on these essentials is

more likely to: improve student learning and attendance, graduate students, improve ACT

scores, get students into college, and retain staff” (UChicago Impact, 2014, p. 1). The

results per building are also posted on the school State Report Card as another assessment

to paint a clearer picture on how a school is performing. This is an example of how, at the

state level, the accountability level has surpassed the PARCC assessments (state

performance assessment). Completing a local audit is highly recommended due to the

accessibility of the tool, specificity of the tool, the efficiency of proctoring the survey,

and the timeliness of the results.

Moral and Ethical Analysis

The ultimate purpose for a school culture annual audit is to ensure that we are

working to the best of our abilities in creating the best environment for all stakeholders.

13

All students of Yorktown School District should have consistently successful experiences

as they transition between the three different buildings during their K-8 experience. Our

staff should be provided the highest level of professionalism by all members as well as

have the opportunity to grow and have a voice in the direction that the building is

heading. Fullan (2001) eloquently stated that:

Moral purpose is about both ends and means. It is about acting with the intention

of making a positive difference in the lives of employees, customers, and society

as a whole. It is striving to improve the quality of how we live together. Leaders

in all organizations contribute for better or worse to moral purpose in their own

organizations. Moral purpose is critical to the long success of all organizations.

Completing and having all staff participate in the school culture audits is the moral

obligation of all staff members as we strive to create the best learning environment

possible for all students of Yorktown School District.

As one of the leaders of Yorktown School District, I have the obligation to ensure

that all staff members have the opportunity to participate and provide feedback on

building-wide decision making. All staff members should be part of a collaborative

environment that “talk together, plan together, and work together” (Hargreaves & Fullan,

2012, p. 114). Reeves (2009) stated that “change in culture requires relentless personal

attention and “scut work” by the leader (p. 39). I need to model this on a consistent basis

as I personally participate in this endeavor as well as engage staff members to be part of

the change that we all want to see in our school and district culture.

With a majority minority district population and being classified as a Title I target

district, we are obligated to provide the services that are required to help our student

population grow and prosper. Completing annual school culture audits along with

incorporating the action plans for improvements in the school improvement plan should

assist us in helping all students. Brown and Moffett (1999) stated that “strong

14

professional communities of teachers were able to successfully adapt to the needs of

diverse and demanding student population by holding high expectations for all students

and by sharing knowledge of effective teaching practices in the content areas” (p.67).

This is part of the process of continually reshaping the school culture process as we set

the highest bar possible in meeting the needs of all of our students.

15

SECTION THREE: ADVOCATED POLICY STATEMENT

Introduction

The overall goal is to create and maintain a healthy school culture throughout the

Yorktown School District. In section three, the goal of the policy advocacy statement will

be highlighted along with a point-by-point description of the details and specific steps

that need to be taken to achieve the goal. The public advocacy statement seeks to

transform a district’s culture through annual school culture audits. This will be achieved

by each staff completing the school culture audit on an annual basis so there can be

continual improvement made to the environment of each building, a process that should

benefit all stakeholders. This will help with continuity between the buildings by assisting

the building leadership in emphasizing efficient systems and structures and maintaining a

high level of professionalism on how things are done on a daily basis. This is especially

critical when building leadership changes and presents the potential for fluctuations in the

school culture.

Goals

To strive for and continue to achieve the goal of creating and maintaining a

healthy school culture throughout Yorktown School District, the following goals need to

be addressed:

Collaborative Environment: Staff in each building need to be able to

collaborate efficiently within grade-level teams, content teams, leadership

teams, administrative teams to plan for all facets of education (curricular,

instructional, scheduling, assessments, etc.).

16

Process: During implementation dips or time when problems occur, the

staff will rectify the situation by working together and coming up with

solutions (thereby minimizing the need for district-level assistance)

(Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012).

Celebrations: All stakeholders need to be celebrated throughout the school

year to recognize achievements and accomplishments of individuals and

groups.

Relationships: Building and maintaining a positive and constructive

rapport with all stakeholders is essential for continuity and maintaining a

positive environment.

Ownership by staff: When staff have ownership then they are fully vested

and committed.

Objectives

All of these goals can positively impact a school’s culture and are embedded in

the School Culture Triage survey (CISC—see appendix A). The following are objectives

that would occur to achieve the goals listed:

Staff in each building annually completes the school culture audit survey

anonymously

The results of the survey are reviewed and discussed amongst staff and

administration

Action plans are created for the current year and incorporated in the school

improvement plan based off of the survey results

17

Professional development needs are determined and established for the

school year

School administrator will be evaluated on the action plan that is created

based off of the survey results (e.g., planning, implementing, and

monitoring)

The survey and action plans would be used and acted on across all buildings of

Yorktown School District. The consistency and continuity throughout the school district

will cement a solid foundation of productive school cultures and should help with a

transition when there is new leadership.

Needs, Values, and Preferences Represented by the Policy

The policy advocacy of continually monitoring and changing when needed and

refining a school culture benefits all stakeholders that are involved. All students of

Yorktown School District will benefit with the attention to details on school culture by

being a part of a learning environment that is nurturing and high-spirited. One of the key

factors is having a consistent educational experience as they move through three

buildings from kindergarten through to the eighth grade. Milner (2012) stated that

“building and sustaining relationships can influence how welcome students feel in an

environment and also help them construct positive attitudes about school” (p. 95).

Experiencing a consistent positive culture that focuses on building healthy relationships

is one of the key ingredients for students to be successful.

The other key stakeholders are the parent and guardians who serve as critical

partners and support systems to each school and child. Their experience will translate into

increased levels of school involvement and support that becomes critical when building

18

social capital (Boyatzis & McKee, 2005). Providing consistent positive experiences for

parent guardians should result in a supportive community base.

Maintaining a healthy school culture is beneficial in many ways for a staff.

Working in a collaborative environment benefits the staff and helps them grow

professionally as individuals and as a group. “Professional collaboration requires time,

practice, and accountability (Reeves, 2009, p.46)”. The other side of the spectrum is that

the staff would be involved in the transformation of the school culture process by

completing the survey anonymously and providing critical feedback in the action plan.

With staff providing that feedback, it offers them a voice that results in ownership. As a

result there will be a higher retention rate, which should provide stability for both the

staff and district as a whole. The human resource and financial liability that the district

needs to absorb with a revolving door for staff negatively impacts a school and district

for years to come (Roza, 2010).

When there is lack of stability at the building level, district administration’s level

of involvement increases. Sustaining a healthy school culture throughout the district will

relieve or minimize the district administrative team from unnecessary damage control.

District office administration can also stay abreast of the school cultures through the

action plans created by each building. Fullan (2001) stated that “it is about acting with the

intention of making a positive difference in the lives of employees, customers, and

society as a whole” (p. 1). District administration becomes efficient and maintains

stability while positively impacting the lives of all stakeholders.

19

Goals and Objectives are Appropriate and Good

All the components of education, such as curriculum, instruction, scheduling, and

extracurricular activities are all critical pieces. However, stakeholders are the glue that

keep it all together; they make up a district, and how they function on a daily basis

creates the school culture. A nurturing school culture that is high-spirited, collaborative,

and safe for all is an environment in which all stakeholders can grow and excel. Students

are motivated to do their best and are given the support systems needed to succeed. Staff

are vested by being given a voice and the opportunity to grow professionally in a

supportive and collaborative environment. Parents and guardians are confident in the

consistent service provided for their child and they respond with unconditional support.

All of the goals and objectives highlighted should help create and sustain positive

environments for all the stakeholders.

Ensuring that school cultures are healthy is even more vital in the United States

and in the state of Illinois. With the current trends of changing demographics and social

economic classes throughout urban, suburban, and rural areas across the United States,

the ability to work collectively as a staff and community has never been more important

than now. To make matters more challenging, the level of school accountability has

drastically changed since 2012 with No Child Left Behind legislation being scrutinized

and revised with the Common Core Standards replacing the Illinois State Standards, the

PARCC assessment replacing the ISAT, and the teacher and administrative evaluation

process being completely restructured. All of these circumstances can cripple or

negatively impact a school district especially if the school culture is not at a positive

20

level. Focusing annually on our school culture is essential to meet the needs of all of our

stakeholders.

21

SECTION FOUR: POLICY ARGUMENT

Sustaining a healthy school culture throughout Yorktown School District is a

foundational piece that must be a yearly priority throughout each school building. Section

four of the policy advocacy document discusses the benefits and challenges of

implementing such a policy requiring an annual school culture audit. The opinions and

information are based on research, personal experiences, and the expected effect that the

utilization of annual audits will have on all stakeholders.

Argument

Provides Staff a Focused Approach

Incorporating a school culture audit on an annual basis that focuses on the same

elements (collaboration, process, celebrations, relationships, and ownership by staff)

throughout a district will allow for focus and attention to be directed at those elements

that allow buildings to run efficiently. Williamson and Blackburn (2009) stated that

“understanding culture, how it works and how it can be shaped, is important for

improving a school’s program” (p. 60). The school culture audit allows the staff from

each building and the district as whole to help shape and monitor the culture of each

individual building on an annual basis to continue growth. The focus is on the whole, and

not the individual, such as the principal. Fullan (2008) reinforced that the “key reason

why organizations do not sustain learning is that they focus on individual leaders” (p.

107). The annual completion of a school culture audit should allow for the staff as a

whole to assist in shaping the culture and development of a strong foundation that helps

in the transition process of new administrators.

22

Promotes Staff Ownership in School Initiatives

Professional development for staff is critical in ensuring that there is continuous

growth and a focus on the current school year. Reeves (2009) discussed the need in

“pulling the weeds” from the previous year’s school improvement plan so the current

year has a focus that can be realistically achieved in one year along with staff buy-in (p.

15). Completing the school culture audit allows staff to anonymously offer feedback on

recommendations on new initiatives or reinforce what still needs to be addressed. This

may include how we celebrate, build relationships, and collaborate, specifically with

regard to scheduling, curriculum, instruction, and assessments. When staff have

ownership and buy-in with the initiatives, then there will be fidelity and commitment.

Additionally, staff are be able to troubleshoot and assist when there is an implementation

dip, a problem that has a high probability of occurring during the school year when an

initiative needs to be revised (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012). The stakeholders who benefit

from the focus and commitment to building initiatives are the students.

Staff Relationship Building

One of the main elements of the School Culture Triage Survey is relationships

and how the staff work together. Having respect for others and being able to work

efficiently in a diverse environment is critical for growth and the overall health of the

building. Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) both confirmed that working in collaborative

cultures as a teacher allow you the best potential for professional growth. Block (2009)

stated that working in “small groups are where transformation takes place” (p. 93). Being

able to collaborate within different groups (content teams, IEP meetings, leadership team,

grade level teams, and administrative teams) including all stakeholders is critical in

23

building and sustaining an excellent school culture. Monitoring our strengths and

weaknesses with our rapport building and the ability to collaborate in groups and the staff

as a whole is essential for a productive and positive school culture.

Recognizing and Celebrating Successes

Celebrating successes throughout a school year not only recognizes

accomplishments and hard work, but motivates everyone to do their best and strive for

excellence. Auditing how, what, and who we celebrate annually pays dividends in

improving the overall morale of a school culture. Continually trying to improve in this

endeavor will improve staff and student morale and if aligned to new initiatives, will

keep the stakeholders focused throughout the school year. Williamson and Blackburn

(2009) stated that “it’s important to reward teachers who are leading efforts to improve

rigor in your school” (p. 61). Acknowledging and rewarding all stakeholders that made

progress, achieved goals, and improved efforts to reinforce the school’s values is critical.

Focusing on this consistently throughout Yorktown School District is essential in helping

all students stay motivated and receive the same level of service throughout their

kindergarten through eighth-grade educational experience.

Consistent Focus Across the School District

Yorktown School District would benefit in many ways with the annual School

Culture Triage Survey being completed by every school staff across the district. Each

building focuses on the same elements that are proven to be essential in maintaining a

healthy school culture that is “essential for improved student achievement” (CISC,

p.130). This allows each building to monitor its strengths and incorporate initiatives to

improve weaknesses. As a result this should minimize district-level involvement in

24

managing disputes or problems at the building level. When deemed necessary to change

building leadership, the transition should be more seamless with a strong staff and the

focus on the same school culture elements. As a result, the staff retention rate should be

stable which will save money spent on recruiting new staff. Additionally it will save

building administration time due to the higher level of supervision and support that new

staff would need. Stability will be achieved at each building level when staff retention

remains high.

Counter-Argument

Buy-In Needed by Staff and Administration

The most significant challenge to facilitating a school culture survey annually is

the buy-in from the staff and administration. The building principal needs to be a

champion for the cause and if there is any feeling that the School Culture Triage Survey

is not a valuable tool then the staff will reciprocate. On the other side is the commitment

from staff to complete the survey and the level of honesty adhered to. The more sincere

and committed the staff is in completing the survey and then following up with honest

conversations on the results the more beneficial it will be in the long run. It needs to be

reinforced that the survey is here to stay and that we will be committed to completing the

School Culture Triage Survey as our annual audit to monitor each building’s health.

Time Commitment

The other challenge is dedicating one of our most valuable resources: time. Time

needs to be invested in preparing the survey, completing the survey, tabulating the

results, analyzing and sharing the results, and then discussing the action plan that should

be put in place following the results. Reeves (2009) stated that “although cultural change

25

is challenging and time-consuming, it is not only possible but necessary” (p. 36). Since

the new initiatives will be added in the school improvement plan for the upcoming school

year, there needs to be follow through by continually monitoring the plan. The

monitoring component is essential due to the fact that there may be some resistance to

change and being adaptable to change only improves over time when the school culture

improves (Reeves, 2009).

The only comparable survey that still needs to be completed is the 5Essentials

survey that is mandatory by the state of Illinois. The 5Essentials is a much more

extensive survey that involves many more questions and consists of five categories

(effective leaders, collaborative teachers, ambitious instruction, supportive environment,

and involved families). The pitfall for staff and administration is that two surveys need to

be completed, the School Culture Triage Survey and the 5Essentials. The lack of buy-in

from staff and or administration could be a problem due to the time involved in filling out

two surveys and the accuracy and honesty of the responses. There needs to be a high

level of conviction to see the benefits throughout the school year. Additionally, district

administration needs to be informed of the results and the action plan that will be

incorporated in the School Improvement Plan so they can monitor the process and the

results.

26

SECTION FIVE: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Transforming Yorktown School District’s culture in each individual building

through annual school culture audits requires an implementation plan. In this section, I

will be outlining the policy advocacy recommendation through the following

components: staff development plan, school culture working committees, data collection,

time schedules, and program budgets. When beginning a district-wide initiative, focusing

on one building as a blueprint for the entire district is an effective initial strategy to

introduce the policy advocacy plan. The building that is the focus for the first initial year

of the policy advocacy plan is Campton Middle School. The middle school is where all

other schools from Yorktown School District feed into, so beginning with the largest

school and providing the support needed would be beneficial and prudent.

Staff Development

The first step in beginning this policy advocacy needs to be done in a very

strategic way for the Campton Middle School staff. Reeves (2009) stated that:

Although many leaders can eloquently describe their vision of the future and

convey genuine optimism and hope, they nevertheless fail to grasp the fear and

anxiety that change – even positive and necessary change – creates among their

colleagues (p. 8).

How this concept is presented to staff is extremely important, but knowing how to

anticipate and minimize resistance is just as critical. Reeves (2009) reinforced that

communicating what’s not going to be changed as the initial message should prepare the

staff to be more open minded about what should be changed. Taking an initial position of

what’s working first, before we begin the change process, will set the staff up for more

successes. This needs to be understood and reinforced to continue the growth process of a

27

culture within a building, As a result, the staff will continue to buy in and take ownership

of the change and the level of resistance should continue to dissipate.

The initial step in beginning this process of changing a school culture is the

honest feedback from the staff on the School Culture Triage Survey. The continual

process requires a high level of collaboration amongst the entire staff and requires

constructive conversations that are honest and respectful. This requires that there is a

level of rapport and a continuous focus on respectful relationships throughout the staff,

including the school administration. Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) reinforced that

“collaborative cultures value individuals and individuality because they value people in

their own right and for how they contribute to the group” (p. 114). Being comfortable,

confident and an active member that provides constructive feedback is essential.

Additionally, this also requires that there is time allotted for staff and specific committees

to meet and collaborate on specific initiatives.

To prepare and continually assist the staff for ongoing change and growth the

leadership team needs to be able to recognize the difference between technical and

adaptive challenges and be prepared to assist accordingly. Heifetz, Grashow, and Linsky

(2009) stated that “adaptive challenges are typically grounded in the complexity of

values, beliefs, and loyalties rather than technical complexity” (p. 70). For example,

changing a school’s grading philosophy (e.g., standards based grading) is more adaptive,

while knowing how to input data in a grading program is a technical challenge. Heifetz et

al (2009) also reinforced that “addressing an adaptive challenge must be done by the

people connected to the problem” (p. 74). This is where top-down decision making

28

cannot resolve all challenges and the ownership of change needs to involve all staff

members to be successful.

Collaborating and soliciting feedback from staff needs to be accomplished in a

calculated and efficient manner. Block (2009) stated that “all change includes work in

one or more small groups, which is why we use the shorthand phrase the small group is

the unit of transformation.” (p. 95). In smaller numbers the discussions can be rich and

focused, involving all parties around the table. The groups can be arranged in content-

specific subjects and other initiatives that are critical to a successful school year, such as

school culture or awards committees. “The small group also offers self-correcting quality

when things are not going well” (Block, 2009, p. 95). Being able to address matters when

needed throughout a school year is essential due to unforeseen circumstances. These

matters can only be successfully addressed if the key people that have immediate impact

on the matter are involved as well as staff buy-in.

Create School Culture Working Committees

There are designated committees established to meet during the school year to

discuss, plan, and make decisions on building wide matters such as

attendance/discipline/celebrations, content-level matters such as curriculum and

assessments, special events and celebrations, school vision/mission/core values, and

current school year building initiatives. This should allow for all staff members to be

involved in a productive small group environment where they can offer input, to be a part

of the decision making process during the context of the school year, and feel invested in

the school’s evolution process and acquire legitimate ownership.

29

Listed below are the committee names and the main topics that each is responsible

for:

School Culture Committee: Responsible for vision/mission/core values and the

recognition of stakeholders that model the values

Content Level Teams: Math, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and

Sciences—curriculum scope and sequence, instructional strategies, assessments,

performance results, and recommendations for improvements

Discipline Committee: Discipline data, concerns around the building,

recommendations or revisions on building rules or procedures

Awards Committee: Awards events for students and staff and recommendations

for new celebrations

Leadership Team and Teaching Teams: School initiatives, upcoming events,

and matters that involve instruction, curriculum, scheduling, building-wide data,

and discuss necessary revisions

The committees meet weekly, bimonthly or monthly throughout the school year.

These meetings will allow members to report on the progress being made on every other

month of the school year (October, December, February, & April).

To make sure the meetings are consistent and productive, the following template

agenda will be utilized:

1. Objective(s)

2. Data to review and analyze

3. Recommendations

4. Actions Steps

30

5. Who’s responsible

Each committee is responsible in creating an agenda and meeting minutes that are

shared with all members of the committee along with the building principal. The building

principal houses all of the agendas and minutes (documents) to be used as a reference for

progress made through the school year and to use as an artifact to support the school

improvement plan initiatives of the school year.

Data for Decision Making

The last big piece in preparing the staff is ensuring that our observations and

decisions are based off of objective means. The utilization of data helps us in making

more authentic decisions that are based off of facts and not perceptions. This would

include using discipline data, student performance results and grades, attendance for staff

and students, and when and how often we celebrate all of the stakeholders that make up

Campton Middle School.

The summative assessment used to gauge growth is when the staff completes the

School Culture Triage Survey and the results are compared and contrasted from the

previous year. Each question and category of the School Culture Triage (professional

collaboration, collegial relationships, and self-determination) is compared to determine

growth. Additionally, the total points earned will be compared with the previous year’s

total to confirm overall growth. The incorporation of our core values needs to be applied

and modeled daily. “Core values are simple and understandable, yet comprehensive

enough to guide employees through a wide of variety of everyday situations” (Brox,

2013, page 2). These are the values that the staff agreed on and need to be incorporated in

31

our daily decision making. Finally, student and staff morale can both be measured by the

results of the 5Essentials survey that is given and completed in the month of March.

Time Schedule

The transformation of a school culture is a process that occurs over time as staff

and administration work together to improve the environment for all stakeholders. The

following table, located on the next page, is a time schedule that would occur over a 12-

month calendar year. It also includes a description of the aforementioned committees.

32

Table 1

Timeline for school culture activities

Date Description

April 2016 School Culture Triage Survey is completed based off the

experience from the 2015–2016 school year

May 2016 Principal tabulates and analyzes the results from the School

Culture Triage Survey

June 2016 Share the results with the staff and allow them to collaborate

and discuss the results in small groups on each specific section

of the survey (professional collaboration, self-determination,

and relationships). Staff should be given the opportunity to

offer additional feedback.

July 2016 With additional feedback from staff during the June meeting

and follow-up team leadership meetings, an action plan based

off of the results is created and recommended for the school

improvement plan for the 2016–2017 school year.

August 2016 The action plan is presented to the Yorktown School District

Superintendent and the School Board and finalized for the

upcoming school year and included in the School Improvement

plan for the 2016–2017 school year.

September 2016

–May 2017

During the 2016–2017 school year the designated committees

meet to discuss specific initiatives:

a) School Culture Committee

b) Content Level Teams: Math, Social Studies, English

Language Arts, and Science

c) Discipline Committee

d) Awards Committee

e) Leadership Team and Teaching Teams

October–

December 2016;

February–April

2017

During these monthly staff meetings, each committee share

their findings and progress being made during the current

school year.

April 2017 The School Culture Survey is completed based off the staff’s

experience from the 2016–2017 school year. The results are

compared to the previous year’s results to determine the

growth and the specific needs that the staff has to focus on.

The results and comparison of the surveys will be used to determine effectiveness and the

recommendation to expand to the other schools of Yorktown School District. The results

33

will also begin the process all over again by focusing on what specific components need

to be addressed during the following school year.

Program Budgets

The budget for the first year of the school culture policy advocacy is based off of

only Campton Middle School needs since the pilot will occur there. Items that would fall

under materials and supplies would be absorbed by the general building budget. The main

part of the budget involves paying the staff an hourly wage of $21.00 for participating in

after-school committee meetings:

Table 2

Staff salaries

Description Cost

35 staff members @ $21.00 per hour x

(3 hours a month x 8 months)

$17,640

The one unknown is the professional development that is needed for staff. This can only

be finalized following the results of the School Culture Triage Survey and the analysis

and discussion of the results. An anticipated budget if a presenter/consulted is brought in

would be the following:

Table 3

Professional development budget

Description Cost

1 hour fee for a presenter/consultant

costing approximately $1000 x 4

sessions

$4000

Staff meeting costs of $17,640 and the

anticipated cost of $4,000 for

consulting

Total = $21,640

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The total anticipated budget for the cost of staff meeting after school and anticipated

consultant fees would be $21,640.

35

SECTION SIX: ASSSESSMENT PLAN

The assessment plan section includes the methods of monitoring the

implementation progress and how outcomes will be assessed to determine the impact that

an annual school culture audit should have on Yorktown School District. Specifically, we

will look at how the School Culture Triage Survey should be utilized to develop a

building-wide plan for the upcoming school year, and that it will be embedded in the

school improvement plan. This assessment section will be laid out in three categories:

monitoring the implementation, assessing outcomes, and stakeholder responsibilities.

Monitoring the Implementation

Throughout the school year there are a number of committees and teams that meet

to oversee different responsibilities and initiatives (see page 28). This committee

structure is derived from the results of School Culture Triage Survey and the specific

initiatives that were incorporated in the school improvement plan. These committees

allow us to monitor the progress that is being made and more importantly, allow for the

opportunity to revise and change course as needed due to unforeseen circumstances or

inefficient practices.

Each committee meets weekly, bimonthly, or monthly and have an assigned

administrator to help oversee and guide the process. Agendas are used to help guide the

meetings to insure the focus remains on what needs to be discussed, confirmed, and any

recommendations needed. There are notes taken from each meeting that will be shared

with the committee members and the administrative team. The administrative team

collaboratively monitors all committees with the building principal collecting and

36

housing all the documents (meeting agenda and notes). Table 4 outlines the committees

that are meeting throughout the school year:

Table 4

Culture assessment committees

Committees Members Who’s

Responsible

Products and

Activities

Meeting

Frequency

Building

Leadership

Team

Building

Administrative

Team and

Teacher

Leaders

Principal -School Data-

Gathering and

analyzing

performance/attendance

/discipline data.

-Create, plan, and

structure

curriculum/scheduling,

building procedures, &

current events.

-Agenda, minutes, data,

action steps, assigned

roles

Weekly

Building

Teaching

Teams

Teachers from

that specific

team

Team Leader -School Data-Present

and analyze

performance/attendance

/discipline.

-Assist in planning and

structuring

curriculum/scheduling,

building procedures, &

current events.

-Agenda, minutes, data,

action steps, assigned

roles

Weekly

Content

Building

Level Teams:

Social

Studies,

ELA, Math,

Science

Selected

Building

Administrator

and Content

Teachers

Assigned

Building

Administrator

-Analyze content

performance data and

plan for curriculum,

instruction, assessment

-Agenda, minutes, data,

action steps, assigned

roles

Bimonthly

Building

Discipline

Committee

Selected

Administrator

and Teachers

Assigned

Administrator

-Gather and analyze

discipline data, discuss

and plan for behavior

contracts, hotspots on

school grounds,

Bimonthly

37

revising rules and

procedures

-Report – agenda,

minutes, data, action

steps, assigned roles

School

Culture

Committee

Selected

Administrator

and Teachers

Assigned

Administrator

-Recognizing and

celebrating successes

-Vision/mission/core

values being

practiced/applied in the

day to day of running

the building

-Agenda, minutes,

action steps, assigned

roles

Monthly

Awards

Committee

Selected

Administrator

and Teachers

Assigned

Administrator

-Scheduling and

organizing special

events: awards, special

achievement, monthly

student and staff

recognition

-Agenda, minutes, data,

action steps, assigned

roles

Monthly

Building Leadership Team

The Building Leadership Team is a building-level (existing) team that focuses on

school-wide initiatives including school culture (principal, assistant principal, dean,

school psychologist/social worker, and team leaders). The building leadership team meets

weekly to discuss student performance data, matters that involve

instruction/curriculum/scheduling, upcoming events in the building, and or building-wide

matters such as building procedures or school initiatives. The building principal along

with the collaboration of the administrative team creates the agenda and documents the

meeting notes and recommendations.

38

Building Teaching Teams

One of four building-level (existing) teams with a focus on team initiatives that

includes school culture (team leader and teachers). There are five teaching teams in the

building that are made of up from 8 to 16 teachers from different content and grade levels

(seventh and eighth grade) as part of the team. Each teaching team has a team leader who

is responsible for creating an agenda and leading the meeting. The weekly agenda

includes the items from that week’s leadership team meeting along with specific topics

pertinent to that team. Notes from the meeting along with recommendations are

forwarded to the building principal for review, with possible further discussion with the

team leader and principal. An administrator might be present at a teaching team meeting.

Building Content Level Teams

Building Content Level Teams are content specific teams (social studies, English

language arts, math, and science) that were initiated through the school culture policy

(administrator and content teachers). There are four different content teams that are

specific to their subject: social studies, English language arts, math, and science. Each

team consists of anywhere from 6 to 10 teachers and includes both seventh- and eighth-

grade levels. Each team meets bimonthly with an administrator assigned to each team.

The administrator is responsible to create the agenda for each meeting centered on the

following: curriculum scope and sequence, instructional strategies, assessments, student

performance results, recommendations for improvements, and opportunities to celebrate

successes by all stakeholders. A teacher from each content team takes notes during the

meeting and then shares this with the team and administration.

39

Building Discipline Committee

The Building Discipline Committee is an existing building-wide committee with a

focus on school culture and the overall behavior and management of the building

(administrator and teachers). The discipline committee that meets bimonthly is led by an

administrator and includes a group of teachers that can be from any teaching or content

team. The administrator assigned will create the agenda on the following topics:

discipline data, concerns with specific students or areas around the building, and

recommendations or revisions on building rules and procedures. The assigned

administrator documents meeting notes and communicate with administrative and

leadership team.

School Culture Committee

The School Culture Committee is a new building wide committee with a focus on

school culture, core values, and celebrations (principal and teachers). The school culture

committee meets monthly and is led by the school principal and includes a group of

teachers that can be from any teaching or content team. The focus of this team is to

discuss how the school’s vision, mission, and core values are being realized daily, and

recognizing stakeholders that model these values. The principal completes meeting notes

and shares with the administrative and leadership team.

Awards Committee

The Awards Committee is an existing building-wide committee focusing on

celebrations and special events (administrator and teachers). The awards committee

meets monthly and is led by an administrator and includes teachers from different

teaching or content teams. The agenda items center around discussions on upcoming

40

award events for students and staff and recommendations for new celebrations. The

administrator assigned completes the meeting notes, communicates to the building

principal, and this is shared with the leadership team.

Every other month of the school year during staff meetings, each committee and

team presents and shares the progress that they are making and any pertinent information

that should be shared with the entire staff (October, December, February, and April). This

level of collaboration and transparency allows for immediate revisions when necessary

and the recognition of individuals who are modeling and setting the tone for high

expectations for all stakeholders. This entire monitoring process encompasses all three

main categories of the School Culture Triage Survey: professional collaboration, collegial

relationships, and self-determination (CISC).

Assessing Outcomes

To evaluate and determine the impact of the annual school culture audit there are

four outcomes that are measured: Results of Annual School Culture Triage Survey,

Student Attendance, Student Discipline Data, and Staff Attendance.

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Table 5

Audit outcomes to be measured

Outcomes Who’s

Responsible

Product(s) Frequency

Results of the

School Culture

Triage Survey

Principal will

administer and

analyze the

results

-Total final

score

comparison

from previous

year

-Average

weighted score

comparison per

question and

category

-Create a

PowerPoint and

present to staff

Annually

Administered

in the spring

(April) and

presented in

the summer

Student

Discipline Data

Building

Administrative

Team

-Number and

type of

discipline

infractions

-Analysis of

data

-Presented to

staff

-Monthly

and quarterly

review

-End of year

final

numbers

Student

Attendance Data

Building

Administrative

Team

-Average

student

attendance per

grade level

-Presented to

staff

-Monthly

and quarterly

review

-End of year

final

numbers

Staff Attendance Principal -Analysis of

teacher

attendance

-Building

average

presented to

Leadership

Team and

District

Administration

-Monthly

and quarterly

review

-End of year

final

numbers

42

School Culture Triage Survey Results

The main assessment that is used to determine the current status of the school

culture will be the School Culture Triage Survey. Following the completion and analysis

of the survey results, a plan would be created in collaboration with the entire staff during

the summer before the new school year. This plan focuses on the deficiencies or the areas

to improve on that have been outlined in the survey results. In the month of April, close

to the end of the school year, the staff completes the survey once again based off of their

current year experience with the new initiatives incorporated. “Administering the survey

at the same time each year is advisable if one wants to chart progress over time, since

responses tend to vary with time of year” (Schaps, 2009, p. 9). The total final score from

the Likert scale survey will be compared to the previous year’s results to determine

overall growth. Each category is also be compared, along with looking at each weighted

score per question, to determine growth. Going through this 12-month process allows us

to determine the big-picture growth and the ability to delve deeper into specific

deficiencies that need to be addressed.

Student Attendance and Discipline Data

Analyzing specific student data such as attendance and discipline are pieces of the

puzzle that help paint a clearer a picture of a school’s culture. The student attendance is

monitored on a monthly and quarterly basis. When there is a high attendance rate, this

shows the level of investment and commitment to school and gives every student the best

opportunity to be academically successful and to ultimately earn promotion to the next

grade level. Student discipline data that will be monitored and analyzed are the total

number and the types of infractions. This is monitored monthly and quarterly to

43

determine patterns and if there are positive or negative trends. Schools that have a higher

attendance rate and lower discipline infractions are positive signs for an improved school

culture.

Staff Attendance

Having a high staff attendance rate through the school year offers stability and a

familiar instructional experience for all students. Positive staff attendance on a daily basis

is a key piece in creating a consistent rhythm in a building that is fluid and flexible.

Attendance will be monitored on a monthly and quarterly basis, and this is compared

with student discipline data to determine if there are any correlations (e.g., higher

discipline incidences in a homeroom where the instructor is absent on a regular basis).

The stability of the staff will be a positive reflection on the school as a whole with all

stakeholders.

Stakeholders Responsibilities

All stakeholders play a role in a school’s culture, and the adults set the tone. With

the administration overseeing a building they ultimately hold the highest level of

accountability. The staff plays a critical role not only by modeling the core values with

the students, but being honest and constructive with feedback on the annual audit. The

student’s role is their level of commitment and investment in their educational process.

Administrators

The tone and expectations for responsibility begins with the administrative team.

The administrators need to practice on a daily basis the big-picture school culture pieces

such as modeling the core values and collaborating with all staff. Specifically, the

administrative team is responsible to guide and lead each committee by creating agendas,

44

setting the tone by collaborating, ensuring that the meeting notes are completed and given

to the principal to house, administer the School Culture Triage Survey and confirm

findings with staff, and communicate the findings and progress to the superintendent.

Staff

The expectations for the staff members are for them to collaborate and model the

core values, complete the School Culture Triage Survey with honest and constructive

feedback, get involved within the established committees, and demonstrate excellent

attendance throughout the school year. Additionally, teacher leaders are responsible to

create a weekly Teaching Team agenda that reflects the focus from the Leadership Team

meeting. This agenda and meeting notes are communicated and given to the building

principal.

Students

The responsibilities for the students begin with having excellent attendance and

being respectful and cooperative. The students are expected to be fully vested by giving

their best effort and welcoming all challenges. We need the students to actively seek out

help when struggling.

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SECTION SEVEN: SUMMARY IMPACT STATEMENT

In the summary impact section we discuss how the policy will impact the school

district. The following four areas are addressed: why this is an appropriate policy, the

consistency with the district’s vision and mission, whether the needs and values of the

stakeholders are represented, and the impact on the school improvement plan.

Why this is an Appropriate Policy

Yorktown School District is obligated to provide the best educational experience

for all of its students, parents, and guardians. The foundation of an excellent education is

a school culture that is positive, motivational, collaborative, enables stakeholders to

resolve problems together, and places a tremendous focus on building relationships and

making connections with others. Additionally, this recommended policy incorporates

standards 6 and 7 from the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders 2015 created

by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration. Standard 6 encompasses

“building professional capacity and practice within a staff” and Standard 7 is “fostering a

professional learning community of teachers” (National Policy Board for Education

Administration, 2015). The students of Yorkton School District need to be exposed to

positive and enriching school culture environments during their Kindergarten to eighth-

grade experiences. To ensure that there is consistency across the buildings in the

Yorktown School District there should be a similar focus on school culture and this can

be achieved in part by utilizing the School Culture Triage Survey in each building and

then following through with the planning and action steps established in partnership with

the entire staff.

46

Policy is Consistent with District Mission and Vision

Analyzing and evaluating a school culture should not be an action that happens

only periodically. There needs to be an intentional focus and a continuous commitment to

help improve and sustain a healthy school culture environment. The time invested in

consistent monitoring will benefit many facets of education. “Making a quick assessment

of the school culture can assist in determining the wisest allocation of time and resources

toward its long-term development and improvement” (CISC, p. 219). When you look at

this from a district perspective, being able to strategically support all the schools in the

district in an efficient and cost effective manner benefits each individual building and the

district as a whole.

What makes this a challenging endeavor is not only the commitment by staff, but

the acceptance of change as an evolutionary process and a necessity for continual

improvement. At times this requires adaptive change by staff members, and this can be

the most challenging kind of change due to the fact that it’s requiring an internal values

adjustment. As a result, the core values of a school and district begin to shape and mold

into a common vision for all stakeholders. This will result in more consistent decision

making which is based off of the values and vision of a building and district.

Needs and Values of All Stakeholders are Represented

Implementing this policy needs to be done by using the same approach as the

desired effect, progressively making the change to improvement. Foundational change

does not immediately occur and typically long lasting change takes time due to

unexpected or unforeseen events or circumstances. Adapting the policy advocacy of

transforming a district’s culture through annual school culture audits only in Campton

47

Middle School for its inaugural year allows for a pilot to determine the best approaches.

This is a prudent and calculated approach to ensure that the rollout to the entire district

should be more meaningful and sustainable in the long run.

With the focus on the School Culture Triage Audit centers around three core

areas: professional collaboration, collegial relationships, and self-determination (CISC).

All three of these sections will impact all stakeholders in a positive and pragmatic way.

The heart and focus of this audit is to determine the level of collegial relationships. This

will impact how we collaborate and how decisions are made during the context of the

school year. This should have a profound impact on how all three stakeholders—students,

staff, and parent/guardians—move forward. This policy is a process of monitoring and

improving how we interact, engage with each other, work together, and continually

improve our skills and crafts in providing our students with a consistent and excellent

educational experience.

Impact on School Improvement Plan

The results of the School Culture Triage Survey and the new initiatives for the

upcoming school year will be incorporated in the school improvement plan. This will fall

under the school culture section of the school improvement plan. All school leaders need

to have a focus on the school improvement plan for their building. The Professional

Standards for Educational Leaders 2015 included the following standard: “Standard 10.

School Improvement – Effective educational leaders act as agents of continuous

improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-being” (National

Policy Board for Education Administration, 2015). All school leaders need to ensure that

48

a school culture initiative is embedded in the school improvement plan as it impacts all

other building initiatives and strategies.

This means that a school can adopt and seek to implement an improvement

strategy, but if the culture is one that resists change or the staff and stakeholders

misunderstand the reasons for the change, the strategy will not be embraced with

the level of fidelity that is needed for successful implementation (Ezen, 2014, p.

3).

The building administrator will ultimately be responsible for the results of the action plan

that have been implemented for the new school year. The school improvement plan is

introduced to the superintendent of Yorktown School District and the School Board.

Throughout the school year the action plans put in place is reviewed and this will be a

part of the school administrator’s evaluation process.

49

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APPENDIX A

School Culture Triage Survey

Never Rarely Sometimes Often Always

or

almost

always

Professional Collaboration

1. Teachers and staff discuss

instructional instructional

strategies and curriculum

issues.

2. Teachers and staff work

together to develop the school

schedule.

3. Teachers and staff are

involved in the decision-

making process with regard to

materials and resources.

4. The student behavior code

is a result of collaboration and

consensus among staff.

5. The

planning/organizational time

allotted to teachers and staff is

used to plan as collective

units/teams rather than as

separate individuals.

Collegial Relationships

6. Teachers and staff tell

stories of celebrations that

support the school’s values.

7. Our school reflects a true

“sense” of community.

8. Our schedule reflects

frequent communication

opportunities for teachers and

staff.

9. Our school supports and

appreciates sharing of new

ideas by members of our

school.

10. There is a rich and robust

traditional of rituals and

celebrations, including

53

holidays, special events, and

recognition of goal

attainment.

Process or Self-Determination

11. When something is not

working in our school, the

faculty and staff predict and

prevent rather than react and

repair.

12. School members are

interdependent and value each

other.

13. Members of our school

community seek alternatives

to problems/issues rather than

repeating what we have

always done.

14. Members of our school

community seek to define the

problem/issue rather than

blame others.

15. The school staff is

empowered to make

instructional decisions rather

than waiting for supervisors to

tell them what to do.

16. People work here because

they enjoy it and choose to be

here.

54